Amnesty: Fuel suppliers aiding Myanmar attacks on civilians

BANGKOK — Amnesty International is urging suppliers of aviation fuel to Myanmar to suspend their shipments to prevent the military from using them to conduct an increasing number of air attacks on civilian targets. “There can be no justification for participating in the supply of aviation fuel to a military that has a flagrant contempt for human rights and has been repeatedly accused of committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and other grave human rights violations.” Military air strikes killed as many as 80 people, including singers and musicians, attending an anniversary celebration last month of the Kachin ethnic minority’s main political organization. In a letter to Amnesty International included in its report, Puma said the details provided by the rights group contributed to its review of its Myanmar investment, which “ultimately led to the decision to exit Myanmar.” A spokesperson for Puma, Matt Willey, noted Thursday in an email to The Associated Press that even before being contacted by Amnesty International, the company had commissioned an independent human rights impact assessment whose recommendations also led to the decision to fully leave Myanmar. Amnesty International said its report “draws on a wide range of sources, including leaked company documents, corporate filings, vessel-tracking data, satellite imagery, public records, and exclusive interviews with defectors from the Myanmar Air Force and sources close to Puma Energy.” In September, a United Nations-appointed human rights expert called for governments and companies to coordinate efforts to cut off the military-led government from its sources of revenue and weapons, saying life in the Southeast Asian nation has become a “living hell” for many since the generals seized power.